Scout 425 LXF

Are two engines better than four?

Scout Boats will let you decide not only the number, but whether you want Mercs or Yamahas hanging on the back of your new 425 LXF S-Class Center Console.

Equipped with a pair of Mercury’s flagship outboard power, the V-12 Verado 600, we had the privilege of sea trialing this new boat and engine combo on Mercury’s fabled Lake X in Florida in the middle of winter.

Top speed always seems to be a benchmark for testers, and the twin 600s cruised nicely at a bit over 34 mph at 4000 RPM. Of course, I had to put the hammer down, and we tipped the GPS readout at just over 61 mph. If you really want to go faster, quads will get you over the 70 mph mark. But only Bass Anglers drag race to their fishing holes, right?

Smartly dressed

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying that it’s impossible to be well dressed in cheap shoes.

Scout’s 425 LXF is to boating what Christian Louboutin is to men and women’s finest footwear. Luxurious embellishment of features that Captains of Industry relish. A Seakeeper 5 provides a firm foundation for the comfort of passengers at sea, or for nights onboard below in a smartly laid out cabin you rarely expect to find on a center console.

To accommodate the size and weight of the Mercury engines, Scout beefed up the transom. Its famed S-Class double-stepped hull with infused epoxy and a layer of carbon fiber provide a near bulletproof ride in nasty seas.

Scout President Steve Potts wanted more: “We looked at the popularity and innovation of both our former 420 LXF as well as our current 530 LXF flagship and set a course to develop the new 425 with even more yacht-like characteristics and appointments than its predecessor.”

Wherever your cherished fishing grounds exist, the ride out will be memorable. Ahead of the center console is a sumptuous side-by-side twin lounge with added contour and armrests flanking both sides, locking you in. Both armrests have recessed cup holders, and within arm’s reach is an under-gunnel padded dry box for storing and charging your smartphone.

The bow area also includes cushioned bow seating, with an electrically actuated table that recesses into the cockpit sole. Easily access the anchor locker and Lewmar windlass with freshwater washdown, and touch control at the bow or from the helm raises and lowers the anchor.

For a bit of dockside ambiance, pop-up lights are mounted into the gunnel both port and starboard, and throughout the vessel under-seating LED color-controlled strip lighting can match the mood.

At the helm

There are two rows of seating at the helm: Three captain’s helm seats and a second row with your choice of two seats or a three-person bench seat. Each seat operates independently, there is a nice, large footpad for those in the front row, and a quick access panel folds down giving the skipper a standing platform for better forward visibility.

Like most center console helms today, the screens are bigger and digital switching puts the entire boat’s electronics on three touch-screen monitors. Scout did a brilliant job at providing a very clean, uncluttered helm by moving the redundant push-button switches overhead. The look is crisp and futuristic.

Yacht-like touches include air and heat at the helm, a bow light camera aiding solo skippers, a Zipwake system to keep the boat balanced and on plane quickly, a Side-Power thruster, and Mercury’s Skyhook positioning system and joystick. By the way, the joystick with the new 600 Verados offers a vastly improved turning radius.

The little cherry on top is the Scout icon that illuminates red when power to the boat is initiated from the helm. No need to go below and turn on a series of breakers — it all happens with just the push of one button.

Scout charm

From a design standpoint, the hardtop is symbiotic with the hull. The composite rear support legs, if you will, blend neatly into the cockpit. An optional ladder leads to a hatch for easy access to the top for maintenance and cleaning.

Lighting, speakers, a retractable SureShade for the aft and my favorite gadget, rocket launchers that tilt down are all part of the overhead system. The rocket launchers, which Scout won an Innovation Award for, are synced to the SureShade to avoid any collisions during deployment.

With a summer kitchen, two hideaway bar stools, outdoor grill, the usual complement of fish boxes, coolers, tackle drawers and live baitwells, the aft deck has all the Scout charm and luxury buyers have come to expect. Except for one more surprise. There is a beach platform that lowers outside to port, giving you added access to the water for easily landing a fish and coming back onboard after a swim or dive. Push a button and it all folds up neatly into a watertight door.

Scout’s 425 LXF is more than a dayboat. Hidden below the center console is a first-rate cabin bathed in updated materials, port and starboard sliding windows for light and fresh air, and white ultrasoft leather seating. A slide-out refrigerator, microwave and stovetop make up a modest galley. A 32-inch TV doubles as a mirror. Bedtime requires a simple conversion of the seating area with a pull-out section between port and starboard couches, transforming into a bed with 7 feet of legroom. Go ahead and stretch out! Behind a pocket door is the head and separate shower with modern faucets and designer bowl sink. Everything is first class.

If you want to be impressed and wish to impress your friends, Scout’s 425 LXF is a smartly dressed coastal fishing boat.